Improved ditching-machine



altitud tattt Jytutti otitis.

HENRY FELTHOFF AND LUCAS D. TINGLEY, OF PRINCE WILLIAM,

INDIANA.

Letters Patent No. 90,517, dated M tty 25, 1869.

IMPROVED DITC'HING-MACHINE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the name.

y To all whom it may concerny Be it known that we, HENRY Fn L'rn'orr` and LUCAS D. TINGLEY, of Prince William, in the county of Garroll, and State of Indiana, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditching-Machines; and do hereby declare the following to be a clear and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in .which- Figure 1 is a plan view of our ditching-machine, complete in all of its parts;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same; and

Figure 3, a side elevation.

In each of the several figures, similar letters of ref erence denote like parts. p

Our invention relates to that class of machines employed for ditching or excavating the earth, the spades of the same being adjustable.

1t consists of a strong frame, supported by two tread-wheels at or near the centre of each side thereof, upon which frame are secured standards for supporting the slides, serving as bearings for the axis of the spade-wheel, the spades of which, when in contact with the earth, are, together with the wheel, rotated by the forward movement of the machine;

Also, in the devices employed for the vertical adjustment of the spade-wheel, and thereby .regulating the depth of the cut of the spades; and

vAlso in the construction and arrangement of an automatic scraper for cleaning the spades, and preventing their clogging.

A is the frame, or bed of the machine, composed of stout timbers mortised together7 and supported by two small wheels x, centrally located on either side of the machine. v

Immediately in the rear of the front piece of the machine-frame, is a piece extending longitudinally across it, marked B, `to which, and to the outer, or rear cross-bar A of the frame, are secured the upright standards O, each provided with a slit, or groove, s, extending nearly their entire length, to receive the vertical slides F, in which the axis of thespadefwheel H has its bearings.

Suitable apertures are yprovided in either side of each of' the standards C', corresponding with similar l apertures formed in the slides F, tol receive pins t, for

adjusting said slides, and thereby regulating the adjustment of the spade-wheel H, which has the bearings of its axle in suitable boxings on the lower end of the vertical slides F.

The upper ends of the slides F are provided with an adjustable bolt, z, having a thread eut on one end to receive the nuts c, which retain them in place', and a dat circular head, in 'which is cut a female screw, through which works a vertical screw-rod a. These latter, impinging upon the tops of the standards, in which wolk the vertical slides, in connection with the pins t, constitute the device foradj usting vertically the axle of the spade-wheel.

The spade-wheel H has its bearings in the lowei` ends of the slides F and L, and may be entirely of metal, or its body of wood, having annular rimsI h It and suitable spades, or scoops i, of metal.

The rims h serve to cut into the earth the required width of the ditch, and in conjunction with the spades, furnish a suitable scoopfor the retention of the earth while being elevated. j

rlhe spades i are formed of metallic pieces, the sides of which are slightly' curved inwardly, and are secured at an angle of about forty-five degrees to thc periphery of the wheel H.

I represents a curved metallic trough, located immediately in the rear ofthe wheel H, which serves as an adjunct for lifting the earth by assisting to conduct and retain it in the spades.

The cog-wheel K, secured to the axle of the spadewheel, is adjusted vertically, by means of 'the slide L, in the standard M, in the same manner and by the same devices as described for adjusting the slides F.

N is a combined pinion and axle, having its bearings in one ofthe nprights C' and standards 0, in

such a manner as that the pinion shall be in gear.'

with the cog-wheel K by which it is operated.

The crank-wheel I), secured to one end of the shaft of pinion N, connects with an elbow-lever, Q, hating itsfulcrum, which is adjustable, at W'.

One end of the elbow-lever Q, plays within a suital ble slot, or groeve in the standard T, which issemired to the frame A, as shown in the drawings.

The hook-shaped rake or scraper u is attached to the upper end of lever Q, and plays within the ways in the upper part of upright standard O, and which, by the motion of the spade-wheel, acts as a scraper for the' spades t', removing therefrom such earth as may cling thereto andtend to' impair the utility of the machine.

Secured to the angular pieces V is a metal platform, w, for receiving and conveying to one side of the ditch the earth as it is pushedY off from the spades by the scraper u.

The operation of our machine is as follows, v iz:

The vertical adj ustmentof the spade-wheel H, being such as to permit its spades to penetrate the soil to a proper depth for excavating, the weight of the machine, when moved forward, causes the annular rims h to penetrate and cut the earth, and the spade-wheel H to lift the same from the ditch, and bring the spades within the ,action of the rake, or scraper u, by which the earth is pushed or raked on to the angular plat form W, and passes to one side of the machine.

The cog-wheel K, being secured to the 'main shaft of the spade-wheel H, rotates therewith, and gearing into the pinion N,'operates the crank-wheel P,'and thereby imparts, through the lever Q, a recipro-al motion to the rake fu, which brings it alternately in line witheach spade, or spade-space, as it comes up lled with earth. And in the further revolutionof the wheel H, the rake is thrust suiiiciently far in the required direction to push the earth on to the platforin W, and, in its backward move, thoroughly cleanse or scrape the spades, as each comes in line.

. 'A suitable t'rap-iloorg-or slide .on the face ofthe ungulzuj platform, may be so arranged nsv to Iaidmit'ligght to the ditch at such point ns the spades are entering the earth, for inspecting the operation kof the spade-A, wheel, or the nature of the soil to be excavated.

Having thus fully described our invention7 What we cla-im as new, and desire to secure by-Letters Patent, is

l. The spade-wheel H, in combinntion with standnrds C' and M, slde's F and L, and adjust-ing-boltsv v:md tops a', z, and c, and `pins t, all substantially as herein set forth.

2. The crank P and lever Q, in combination with the sera-per 11-substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set tort-h.V

As evidence that we claim the foregoing, We have hereunto set our hands, in the presence of three wit- -nesses.

HENRY I1`EI`J11EIOFF. LUCAS D. TINGrLEY.

.Witnesses'z y It. H. MILROY, A

WILLIAM W. CLARK, MATTHEW MoIlmRNY. 

